"There is technical expertise to be enjoyed within the genre of blues. I love a great blues player or singer. However, the blues is mostly about feel and it’s a unique language that I doubt A.I. will ever master. There are those of us who believe it is our job to be the keeper of the flame."

Andy Peake: Music City's Emotions

Andy Peake is a veteran multitalented artist of the Nashville music scene. Music Producer, Drummer, Engineer, Studio Owner, Project Coordinator; Andy has played with such artists as Don Williams, Delbert McClinton and Lee Roy Parnell. Fueled by the critical acclaim of his 2021 debut album, Mood Swings, Andy Peake has reached deep in his pocket and again enlisted some of the very best of his talented friends to create an eclectic gumbo of lyrically clever tunes with a strong thread of blues and American roots music forms throughout. Andy’s second solo album POCKET CHANGE (Release Day: SEPTEMBER 20, 2024), features 10 tracks — 7 are written or co-written by Peake, two are originals by legendary southern soul songwriter Dan Penn. Produced and engineered by Peake at his Biglittle Recording Studio. Andy Peake has been surrounded by music since his formative days. His influences included jazz, Broadway, classical and the pop music of the 1950s forward.                                   (Photo: Andy Peake)

He attended college as a music major and turned professional in 1972. After years of local performances, primarily in the Denver area, he moved to Nashville, TN where he began a fast track to regional and national success as an artist support person, playing drums and percussion for multiple touring and recording artists. In 1987, Andy was contacted by musician friends to come to Nashville from Colorado and join the band as drummer for pop artist Nicolette Larson. The offer was accepted and the process of becoming established as an "in-demand" drummer/percussionist in the active music scene of Music City began. This lead to international touring, recording, TV support appearances, product endorsements and audio engineering.

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the music influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken? What moment changed your music life the most?

Music has mystical power to touch us emotionally. Chord progressions, rhythm, dynamics and lyrics each can illicit joy, sadness, anger, dismay, aggression, compassion and more. Writing & performing music gives me the ability to achieve any or all of these. When my friend, legendary songwriter Dan Penn heard my first album and complimented me, it assured me I have something to offer.

How do you describe your sound, songbook and music philosophy? What's the balance in music between technique and soul?

Craftsmanship, emotions, empathy and sense of humor. Your balance is your signature.

What´s been the highlights in your career so far? Are there any memories from gigs, jams, and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

The list is long and proud as a touring musician. Playing drums/touring with Delbert McClinton was a highlight. Being asked to play drums in the studio on songs written by John Hall of Orleans (writer of Still the One, Dance With Me) was exciting and reassured me that I “hear the song” when I contribute. Being asked recently to join the touring band of “The HercuLeons,” with John  Cowan of the Doobie Bros. and Andrea Zonn from James Taylor’s band, again gives me the opportunity to be creative w the “big kids.” The release of “Pocket Change” is truly a huge highlight for me.

"Music has mystical power to touch us emotionally. Chord progressions, rhythm, dynamics and lyrics each can illicit joy, sadness, anger, dismay, aggression, compassion and more. Writing & performing music gives me the ability to achieve any or all of these. When my friend, legendary songwriter Dan Penn heard my first album and complimented me, it assured me I have something to offer." (Photo: Andy Peake)

Currently you’ve one more release in Biglittle Studio with many guests. How did that idea come about? Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new album “Pocket Change”?

The pool of great musicians in Nashville is daunting in a good way. Add in some friends from Muscle Shoals and it becomes a jigsaw puzzle that is a blast to assemble. I am fortunate to count many of them as colleagues and friends. I sent tracks from my song “The Scuffle” to my dear old friend, Sam Broussard to record some guitar solos and was blown away by his performance. This was after recording guitarist Will McFarlane (Bonnie Raitt,) bassist Paul Ossola (Levon Helm band, SNL staff band,) and vocalist Shaun Murphy (Little Feat, Bob Seger) onto that basic track. When I added Sam’s solos and listened to all of that together, I just sat back and thought, “I am in rhythm and blues heaven!”

Why do you think that Nashville music legacy continues to generate such a devoted following?

Everyone who has experienced the Nashville music community knows that it is a fertile field for growing our inspirations. If you join a baseball team, you put on your uniform and everyone knows you came to play. We all came to play.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I mostly miss sense of community when you picked up an album cover and read about who created it, where and how. I was pleased to see that the digital distributors now provide spaces to include album credits and lyrics. You have to look a little harder, but at least it’s there online. I hope that today’s music will continue to trend back towards finding the balance between art and commerce. The people who control the purse strings see commerce as their own form of art. Great art should leave us feeling as though we’ve been caressed lovingly. Money can be a good thing, but it’s not everything.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

The relationships we experience while making music create a unique type of family. Sometimes we would give our all to nurture them. Sometimes we  choose to put those picture frames on the dresser and just allow them to gather dust. I prefer the former and aspire to make that my roadmap.

"Everyone who has experienced the Nashville music community knows that it is a fertile field for growing our inspirations. If you join a baseball team, you put on your uniform and everyone knows you came to play. We all came to play."

(Photo: Andy Peake)

Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues? What is the role of music in today’s society?

There is technical expertise to be enjoyed within the genre of blues. I love a great blues player or singer. However, the blues is mostly about feel and it’s a unique language that I doubt A.I. will ever master. There are those of us who believe it is our job to be the keeper of the flame.

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